In eras past farm kitchens
rarely boasted the
contemporary conveniences of
their urban counterparts.
Imagine trying to set up a
household in a rural area
with no electricity and no
running water. Your
possessions would be few,
likely hand-me down items

such as a stove, a bed, a
wooden table, a few chairs
and perhaps a small but
efficient cupboard.
As a settler you would
not have access to a grocery
store. Homemakers cooked from
scratch with vegetables
harvested from the garden in
season or preserved for

winter use and with farm
produce such as eggs, milk,
cream, butter and fresh meat.
Still, there were
benefits besides the
hardships. The heavenly scent
of homemade bread baked with
flour from milled wheat was
unforgettable. Fresh milk
arrived in the kitchen twice

a day from the cows in the
barn. Cream was separated
from the milk and fresh
butter churned from the
cream. Excess cream was
poured into a can to be taken
to the train station for sale
to the nearest creamery with
a small cream cheque later
being mailed back to the